Insect-guard.



Na. 694,90]. Pitanted Mari 4, 1902.

u. n. WATKINS. msEcT GUARD.

(Application fild June 25, 1901. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

1m: "cams PETERS co. "mum. mammal-on. v.1;

No. 694,901. Patented Mar. 4, 1902;

0. u. WATKINS.

tNSECT GUARD.

(Application filed Jxme 25 1901 (No Modpl.) 2 Sheets-Shani 2.

Wii zsszs I 1982914212 by M 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ORLA H. l/VATKINS, OF CLINTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO' J. KIMILNER, OF CLINTON, IOWVA.

INSECT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,901, dated March 4, 1902.

Application filed June 2 5, 1901.

To a/ZZ whom, it ntcty concern: 7

' Be it known that I, ORLA H. WArKINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, have invented anew and useful Insect- Guard, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to insect-guards, and has for its object to provide for preventing insects from gaining access to the interior of a room and over the top of a door when the latter is opened. ltis'furthermore designed to provide for mounting the guard upon a door-frame and to arrange for manipulating the guard by the opening and closing of the door, so as to scare away the flies that may have collected" upon the exterior of the door.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanyin g drawin gs,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the invention applied to a screendoor, the latter being open. Fig. 2 is a front elevation with the door closed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device with the door partly open. Fig. 4 is a front elevation with the parts in position illustrated in Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding partsin the figures of the draw; lugs.

To illustrate the application and operation of the invention, there has been shown in the drawings a door-frame 1 and a screen-door 2, hinged thereto in the ordinary manner, so as to open outwardly from the blind-dopr 3.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a rock-bar 4, which is terminally mounted in suitable bearing-brackets 5, secured to the top of the door-frame and just above the top of the screen-door. From opposite" ends of the rock-bar project the arms 6, thereby completing askeleton frame, which is covered by suitable screenmaterial 7,preferably wire- Serial No. 66,029. (No model.)

gauze, as commonly employed for screen doors. At the outer free end of the guard there is provided a loose or flexible fringe 8 to swing looselyduring the movement of the device. V

At that end of the rock-shaft which is ad jaceut to the free edge of the screen-door the journal is extended through the bracket and formed into a crank'9, to which is connected the upper end of a helical spring 10, that has its lowerend fixedly connected to the doorframe, as at 11., Normally the crank is projected outwardly from the rock-shaft, whereby the springh'oldsthe guard in a pendent position and lying flat against the upper external portion of the screen-door, as shown in Fig. 2; When the door'is opened, the upper edge thereof bears frictionally against the arms of the guard, thereby swinging the latter upwardly upon'the rock-shaft, the upward movement of the guard being limited by means of a cord or other suitable connection 12, connected at opposite ends to the top portion of the free edgeof the screendoor and that arm of the guard which is adjacent to the hinged edge of the door. The guard when moved upwardly by the door as sumes a position, such asis best illustrated in Fig. 3, with the crank in alinement with the spring or slightly to the opposite side from the position it assumes when the guard is. in a vertical position. The guard is kept in a horizontal or substantially horizontal position' until the door is nearly' closed. While the door is open any downward movement'of the guard is prevented by the action of the spring and further by the fact that the cord12, being drawn taut, will engage with one of the sidebars 6 and prevent any downward movement. During the closing of thedoor the cordpulls downwardly upon the guard, so as-to close the same downwardly against the outer side of the door. The pur pose of the spring is to insure a quick downward movement of the guard and also to maintain the guard in close proximity to the door when closed. 7

It is a well-known fact that [lies and other insects commonly collect upon the upper portion of a screen-door, as they are attracted by the odors from the interior of the house, and

ordinarily when the screen-door is opened they fly over the top edge of the door and inwardly through the doorway. When the present device is employed, it is apparent that the insects collect upon the guard, and as the latter swings upwardly with the opening of the door and assumes a substantially horizontal position when the door is open the opening between the top edge of the door and the door-frame is closed against ingress and the movement of the guard swings the insects outwardly and away from the door, thereby effectually excluding the insects from gaining access to the interior of the room.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a door-frame, and a door hinged thereto, of a swinging guard mounted upon the top of the frame'and normally overlapping the upper portion of the door, there being means for swinging the guard vertically by the opening and closing of the door.

2. The combination with a door-frame, and a door hinged thereto, of a swinging guard mounted upon the top of the frame andoverlapping the top portion of the door, the upper edge of thedoor being constructed to bear frictionally against the inner side of the guard during the opening of the door and thereby swing the guard upwardly, there being means for returning the guard to its nor: mal position when the door is closed. I

3. The combination with a door-frame, and a door hinged thereto,of a swinging guard mounted upon the top of the frame and normallyoverlapping and lying againstthe outer side of the door, the upper edge of the latter being constructed to frictionallybear against the inner side of the guard during the opening of the door and thereby to swing the guard upwardly, and a flexible connection between the door and the guard to draw the latter downwardly by the closing of the door. at. The combination with a door-frame, and a door hinged thereto, of a vertically-swinging guard mounted upon the top of the frame and normally overlapping and lying against the outer side of the door, and connecting means between the door and the guard to limit the upward movement of the latter and also to draw the same downwardly by the closing of the door.

5. The combination with a door-frame, and a door hinged thereto, of a vertically-swinging guard mounted upon the top of the frame and normally overlapping and lying against the outer upper portion of the door, and a flexible connection between the free edge portion of the door and the opposite side portion of the guard.

6. The combination with a door-frame, and a door hinged thereto, of a vertically-swinging guard mounted upon the top of the frame and normally overlapping and lying against the top of the outer side of the door, an operative connection between the door and the guard, and a yieldable tension device connected to the guard to normally hold the same in a pendent position against the door.

7. The combination with a door-frame, and a door hinged thereto, of a vertically-swinging guard mounted upon the top of the frame and overlapping the top of the door, an operative connection between the door and the guard, a crank carried by one end of the pivotally-mounted end of the guard, and a spring having one end connected to the crank and itsopposite end connected to the door-frame.

8. An insect-guard for doors, having a rockbar, opposite terminal bearing-brackets for the bar, and a door-engaging connection carried by the guard and constructed to draw downwardly the guard by the closing of a door.

9. An insect-guard for doors, comprising a rook-bar, a foraminous guard projected laterally from and carried by the bar, opposite bearing-brackets for the rock-bar, one of the journals ofthe barbeing projected and formed into a crank, a helical spring having one end connected to the crank, and a cord connected to the guard and adapted for connection with the free edge of a door.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ORLA H. XVATKINS.

Witnesses:

RALPH J. DICKERSON, A. L. SCHUYLER. 

